150 COWANS' METHOD OF TROLLING. 



or swivel, imparted to me by one of the best professionals 

 on the Coquet, John Cowans of Kothbury. It is simply 

 this : he enters the point of a common full-sized bait- 

 hook in at the mouth of the minnow, and brings it out 

 just behind the back-fin. He then proceeds to business 

 by dropping it into the head of a stream, and gently 

 drawing it backwards and forwards for a minute or so 

 near the same spot ; then allowing it to descend a few 

 yards lower down with the current, he repeats the same 

 manoeuvre. The movements of the bait are guided by 

 a motion of the rod similar to that employed in spinning, 

 but only in a much more deliberate and gentle manner. 

 Of course the bait in this case does not spin at all; and 

 the intention is to cause it to simulate the motions of a 

 minnow endeavouring to ascend the stream, but unable 

 to contend with the force of the current. This he in- 

 formed me was a very deadly method for large trout, 

 and I have myself seen him take one upwards of 2 Ibs. by 

 this means. 



I have now only to mention a method adopted by some 

 sportsmen in blustering windy weather, which is called 

 fly-minnow fishing, and consists in impaling a small 

 minnow, about half an inch long, on a large fly-hook, and 

 fishing with it on the surface the same as with fly. 



Having pretty well exhausted the patience of my 

 readers on the subject of minnow-tackle, I shall just 

 mention what will be found a convenience in the shape 

 of a box, so contrived as to contain both baits and 

 tackle together, thus economizing the angler's pocket- 

 space. It consists of a box of sheet brass or tin, five 



